Terry O'Quinn Hawaii Five-0 Role and Character
Terry O'Quinn played John McGarrett, the father of protagonist Steve McGarrett, in the CBS police procedural Hawaii Five-0. The series ran from 2010 to 2020, spanning 10 seasons and 240 episodes. McGarrett was a decorated Navy SEAL turned head of the Hawaii State Task Force, and O'Quinn's performance anchored many of the show's central family-driven plotlines. He joined the main cast in the pilot and remained a core cast member through the series finale. Hawaii Five-0 official CBS page
O'Quinn's casting was reported by major trade outlets in early 2010, when the reboot was announced alongside Alex O'Loughlin as Steve McGarrett. The character was written as a retired Special Operations officer with deep knowledge of Hawaii's law enforcement and military infrastructure. Publicly available episode credits list O'Quinn as a series regular for the entire original run. Forbes coverage of Hawaii Five-0 cast announcement
Hawaii Five-0 Ratings, Production, and Financials
Hawaii Five-0 aired on CBS and was produced by CBS Studios and K/O Paper Products, the production company founded by Peter Lenkov and Alex Kurtzman. The show was filmed primarily in Honolulu, Hawaii, with location shoots at well-known sites such as Ala Moana Beach Park and the Hawaii Film Studio. Production involved a large local crew and contributed to Hawaii's entertainment sector, which supports thousands of jobs in the state. Hawaii Film Office
The series regularly ranked among the top 30 most-watched broadcast shows in the U.S. during its early seasons, according to Nielsen ratings data reported by industry outlets. CBS renewed Hawaii Five-0 multiple times, reflecting stable viewership and advertiser demand. The show's production budget supported a mix of in-house CBS Studios teams and Hawaii-based vendors for location services, transportation, and post-production. Nielsen top-rated TV shows data
Terry O'Quinn Career and Earnings Context
Before Hawaii Five-0, Terry O'Quinn was best known for his role as John Locke on the ABC series Lost, which ran from 2004 to 2010. He won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2007 for that role. His move to Hawaii Five-0 marked a shift from ensemble drama to a more structured procedural format with a strong family narrative. Emmys profile of Terry O'Quinn
While exact per-episode salary figures for O'Quinn on Hawaii Five-0 have not been publicly disclosed, cast compensation on long-running network procedurals typically includes base pay plus backend participation. Public filings and industry reports indicate that lead and supporting actors on network dramas can earn six-figure sums per episode by later seasons. O'Quinn's post-Hawaii Five-0 work has included guest roles and voice projects, and he remains a recognizable figure in American television.